


Rainy Wasteland Nights

by KurtNightcrawler



Category: Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Left 4 Dead 2, Multi, OC Hunter - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-18
Updated: 2011-10-18
Packaged: 2018-05-28 23:31:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6350056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KurtNightcrawler/pseuds/KurtNightcrawler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This a bit of a 'welcome back to writing fanfiction!' Sorta deal, originally written in 2011!<br/>Meet Kane, a reasonable and built college guy who has a multitude of friends who all share the same theme...they are infected with the zombie virus! #SquadGoals!<br/>Kane loves Zoey but how can a mutated hunter ever be with a suave chic like her?! Not to mention she packs enough heat to rival the sun, what a doomed relationship!!!...<br/>Or is it?...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rainy Wasteland nights pt1 (1-3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning to a long journey and there is no telling whats to happen along the broken way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to part 1! I hope you enjoy this series as I am working hard to keep it updated at the time (2016)  
> I will fix errors as I go, thank you for reading! (last edited: 4-15-2016)

Left 4 Dead

All Cast, Original Concept

Chapter I

\- I hate the rain.

Makes me feel like the whole world really has gone completely to shit.

It shows the honest emotions that are harbored deep inside,

creating this terrifying beast at my core.

It's like our best treasures are now void, and I all I have left...

are things I don't even have control of...

But that's just me. The rest of the gang is pretty stoked about it all. Like someone finally listened to their stupid pleas for a body worthy of these tricks and, BAM! the Infection arose. Who else gets to be the bad ass mother fuckers they've been working their muscles to become originally? Take Roger, he is the youngest of our group yet he tells us all the time how he is so much faster and can jump so much further because of his early practicing. At times I wish he was lying but again and again he'll crouch with his thick muscled legs and "kkrRRAAAAAAAA!" shoot off to the roofs. Some of the others like to see the distance we can knock objects without touching them. One 'Lone wolf' guy managed to knock a survivor across an entire alley and the human died instantly! It was awesome until he tore the dead guys head off and kicked it at the rest of us..

but it was all in fun...What else have you got to do in a wasteland?

Oh, well there are also experiments, I guess. You know, for us with much more than just testosterone.

When I say experiments though, I'm not talking about seeing how much one can drink now as opposed to before the Infection ( 2 1/2 gallons; straight Vodka with lime) I mean, things like coordinating our jumps to knock back the Horde to establish a pretty good size opening. Creating the right distractions to move the clusters of mindless away from the humans. Gathering the correct ammo necessary for their current weapons and dropping them along their path. Sneak along their path and leave hints that lead survivors to food, shelter, aid packets, rest... Just small things to do.

Hey, don't seem so surprised! We're on your side! Plus, we also get a share of the profits from helping you live. The more Humans that survive means a better chance we can find a cure or some kind of established relationship between our fellow humans and Infected. We're not all idiots looking to murder, some of us enjoy doing normal things like keeping a pet ( never last long though, its a tough job), talking to other intelligent folks, playing board games, and on occasion...it has been reported and secretly documented..

Some manage to fall in Love.

Now, look, don't be coy and say that's wrong, we need love too. We were once the very same humans who seek to escape our world so doesn't it make sense that a few of us, every once in a great while, finds a beautiful Survivor? The kind that makes you almost wanna run at them and take them down, just to get close to her? Growling from a distance, wishing your hardest that they would somehow understand your feelings? Or that the only reason you am following her is because you wanted to apologize for ripping her beautiful pink jacket sleeve?

...sorry...

-Panicked shouting in the distance of a broken alleyway. The dark road is littered with varied size debris and tattered horde, all scattering to the empty echoes. I remain hooded and silent beneath the overhang on the far side of the lane, our pack motto. On the roof is another comrade, Roger, who is crouched to better see the happenings below and ready to signal the rest of the crew if something goes awry. This time the Survivors we decided would have to die . The clan is running tight on stocks and we've found a few more intelligent Infected so these fools will have to nourish our dwindling supply. Besides, its a smaller group and they've been struggling for awhile. To us they don't seem to be very "fit" for a new world. Hell, I don't even think rescue is coming this time so its either us or the horde get them and to HELL if I let THEM eat before me! -

\- A light flashes across the nearby wall, stealing me from my inner rants. A thin figure of a girl sprints ahead of the group, running madly and obviously in a panic. With her heading toward the cross section of our street, I make a small motion to Roger up top. He makes swift work of leaping down into her path, knocking her beneath him with ease. He begins to finalize her when the 2 other humans in her troupe come bolting from where she originally ran. Growling deep, I leap out of my hiding cove and accurately slam the first guy into the empty shop window across the paved alley. This was followed by a chain reaction of head turns from the Horde who quickly found their way off the ground and stumble towards the action. "Great, now we have to use backup.." I curse, looking about for something to distract with. Not a moment too soon, a spitter dashes out from inside the same store, shooting her toxic spray at the feet of the horde, making them instantly stop just short of. The young hunter tosses the now dead body over his shoulder and leaps off towards the direction of where the other intelligent infected are waiting. The last human guy charges in after me but a tongue quickly wraps around his waist, dragging him back into the street. and leaves him dangling wildly from an upper railing. The spitter girl grabs my near dead catch and motions me to finish the last one. Dashing out towards the smoker, I lunge at the guy hanging under the balcony when-

POW_ssszzZWWIIFFFFTTTTT!

I stop dead as the sniper bullet flew right by my head and sunk smartly into the cement a few feet from me. I quickly turn, scouring for my distant assailant, and I hear an oddly familiar noise coming from...inside me..?

bu-Bump

My heart explodes as the color of her perfect, pink jacket sinks into my brain, retching me from the darkness I found comfort in. I can hear my heart skip beats as I wonder, why she is standing up there? I can feel my blood pull through my sluggish veins and my mind fogs over with her image, memories racing to the front of my vision. I can see nothing but her, standing on that roof top with such a strong aura, all things seeming to melt with her being the only object that remains still..

..until I spot movement on the roof adjacent to her. Roger, finished taking the body to the others, silently leaps closer to her, eager to seek revenge for the lone shot. In a panic, I dash away from the Smoker and rapidly scale the nearest wall hoping to cut Roger off his path. I hear the smoker shout at me just as I manage to approach the young Roger, him just beginning to leap again onto the buildings edge that I was on. In seemingly slow motion,Roger turns his head slowly and gives me a strange and confused look. However, with the girls face imprinted on my brain, I over calculate my momentum and knocked him clean off of the roofs edge. As he tumbles straight to the ground, my hand reaches out slowly before I smell the distinct Boomer smell, knowing that can only mean..-

Before anyone can understand what happened, Roger lands and immediately leaps straight into the path of the disgusting bile, covering himself from head to toe in the sickly vomit. Within seconds, the Horde surrounds him with ferocity never recorded before and violently rip into him. The boomer belches and claws at the nearest ones as I and a team of hunters quickly leap into action. With every hunter pouncing in the same vicinity, they managed to knock the zombies back, giving me time to dash to Roger and quickly strip him of the clothes with bile. He is already profusely bleeding and one may have severed a thigh artery but I can only do so much with this little time frame. I wrap him onto my back and make a giant leap out of the pile. The others dive into the nearest dark spot they can find and disappear, as the boomer distracts the majority of the lame infected. I leap onto the balcony where the Smoker had just gathered his kill and suddenly remember the girl in the pink jacket. I turn to where she was and...

There she is. Just staring... at me. at ME, with these eyes of... sympathy?

Did she see the whole thing?

Did I mention I hate the rain?

Chapter II

riIIPPP!

-I tear a strip of cloth from the pile of white gauze gathered on the floor of our mildly-lit, make-shift hospital. Roger is laying on the couch beneath me, sleeping from the rush he got merely an hour ago. Using a little antibiotic cream, I wipe it across Rogers' arm's cut before wrapping the strip tightly around it. I feel him tense automatically under my hand, but I continue to work with ginger, though distracted, hands. I can hear Oscar, the boomer from before, being scolded for his 'thoughtless' actions but we both knew he was taking the rap for me. Some how I think he understood what had happened before I even knew because he offered to take the fall! Even if its nothing really bad, none of us like being bitched out by a fellow zombie. We only appointed a few 'generals' so that it didn't feel so democratic anymore.

I sigh as I finish the last bandage and turn to the wound on his leg. Luckily I wasn't as right before when I thought they opened up an artery but unfortunately, it was his main quad muscle group that got spliced wide. This meant that he should probably do some recovery therapy and exercise to be worthy of another battle. It might knock him down a few ego pegs but at least he'll be on our level now..and maybe he'll think twice before surprisingly attacking my lov-

-I hear him grunt as he turns over and faces me. I do a slight grin, but he doesn't return it. Its a seemingly long awkward pause before...

"Well.. What, the fuck, happened?"

He nearly spits the words at me like some kind of jealous ex. He can read my face and knows that it is still at the top of my mind. I growl lightly and stand, moving swiftly across the room to shut the door on the distant noise outside. His intense glare follows me and I hesitate before turning around, giving him my best poker face.  
"Nothing." I said with little enthusiasm.  
"Nothing? You shoved me off the fucking roof for NOthing?" He nearly shouts. In an instant, I closed the distance between between my teeth and his neck, growling threateningly deep in his ear,  
"Well it would have been nothing if you hadn't decided to play Rambo and seek revenge for a stupid missed shot, you prick!..."

He is a bit more reserved than before, but responds quickly." What the fuck are you on about? I just saw a human from the group we were ORDERED to kill and went to do the job! Until you came out of nowhere and decided to push me into the hordes waiting hands."

I stand up straight and breathe deep,calming myself before replying.  
"She wasn't apart of that group so she wasn't suppose to die with them" I turn behind me to gather the needle and sterile suture for his leg injury, wanting to put the topic to rest.  
"Then what the hell was she doing WITH those other humans?" he throws at me with sass, sitting up on the couch in the process. I grab the sterile needle and push his leg apart to reveal the nasty slice. Holding the string out of my way, he flinches when the metal punctures through his skin the first time, but remains still afterwards. I sew a few stitches before replying.  
" She was watching that group to see if she could be of any use."  
-Roger nods silent, before resuming- " Is that why she wasn't mentioned before in our debrief meeting? John said there were only three humans on this mission..ya 'know, I don't even think those survivors even knew she existed.."  
" They've never met before, no.."  
" So then why was she there helping them out?" He questioned, staring away from my repairs.  
" Because that's what she has decided to do with her life. She is remaining here to help other humans ake it to the military rescues" -I finish his stitches and rub some more cream on the thread. I face away, tossing the needle into the health case as Roger stands slightly with a bit of a huff. He manages to ignore the pain for some more conversation.

" Pft, why would anyone besides us choose to stay behind? That just sounds fucking stupid..."  
" Its not stupid, its bravery!", I turn and spit at him quickly, "She has already been to the safe haven and found it to be very tiring with what everyone in a mindless panic! She enjoys the silence this horrible land brings and she has survived very well this long so maybe she isn't so bad at making a living here, huh?!" - He gives me a confused expression, like the one from before but it quickly gives way to a slow dawn of realization over his ugly face.

" Hey, wait a minute, why the hell do YOU know any of this?" As soon as the words are emitted from his mouth, Oscar opens the door. He scans the room with his eyes and, once again, understands the situation before anything is said.  
" Oh, hey there you are Roger. Listen, some of the guys downstairs think they can out jump you now..just wanted to make sure yo-" Cutting Oscar off, Roger leaps into the air in childish rage and begins to shout in utter disbelief.

" WHAAAT? HEll NO, I'm STILL stronger than them, even with a split quad! I'll show them I can beat them with one LEG!" He grabs his hoodie and dashes rapidly past the Boomer, across the hall and down the stairs, his prior question having all but disappeared.

Sighing once more, I calm myself and sit on the couch that Roger was just bandaged on. Oscar quietly enters the room and gently shuts the wooden door behind him. He remains silent as he crosses the floor and rests against a pillar in the center of it, facing me. He is expressionless, not judging but just waiting for me to say something.. but what hell can I say in something like this? 'Hey, so I've been stalking this human girl for the last several months and I know everything about her, but i think that today, she may have recognized me from a time before, and now she is probably running for the hills cause she has a zombie stalker? Oh, and...'

" Thanks for taking the blame..." -was all I could get out. Nothing made sense and it was the only thing that I could say without getting too emotional. Oscar nods, his eyes looking around the room slowly. He shifts a little before speaking further.  
" It was no big deal. Honestly, I think I helped John's ego be letting him lash at me. So its not all bad. Besides..." He hesitates in his sentence. I look up to see him staring straight into me, "...I can see when someone nearly has a heart attack because the one you love is doing something that catches you off guard." He winked as my eyes grow wide in shock, before I cast them down, sadness and shame taking over.  
" Is it that obvious?" I mutter, wondering how many others might have found out by now. Oscar removes himself from the pillar and sits himself next to me, shaking his head in a 'no' fashion.  
" Don't worry, its only me that knows! The others couldn't care less what time of day it was let alone keep an eye on you," I give him a short glare and he looks apologetic, "Plus, I've personally made it a habit to track the coming and goings of all of our little community."

Now I'm the one with the confused face." Why would you do that?" I ask with honesty. He chuckles,

" What the hell else have I got to do? I'm normally stuck in this building or out collecting memorabilia from our human days. So, why not do something that might be useful later, like tracking where 'family' go?" I smile, knowing that what he says is quite true. I turn my head to look at the shut door, before resuming with our conversation.  
" So, if you track all of us, then you know that for the past several months or so, I've been,.... sneaking down to the port?" I tense up when Oscar nods, so I ask a different question." Do you..know why?.."  
" Because they opened a new Sushi bar nearby? YES, of course I know! Or at least figured it out.. And don't panic, I haven't said a word." he assures me as I relax a little and my hands release the clench on my legs.

" Though, you should know, its not too uncommon for a zombie to fall in love with a human survivor..." I turn quickly towards him in surprise. He smiles at me and chuckles. "Well, maybe in this group it's unheard of but other traveling infected have recorded such things in the few books they leave behind. So if John ever did find out about it, we could easily win him over with the notes that will back you up."

I stand up from the couch in excitement, knowing that I wasn't the only fool who falls in love with a survivor. I begin to wonder what the outcome of their loves became but my mood suddenly dropped when the hard truth really hit... Zoey would never fall in love with me! I'm a damn MONSTER in her eyes.

Depressed, I drop into a crouch and lower my head back into my shadowy hood.

I wanted to cry.

I wanted to wrap myself up in a blanket and just cry.

I wanted to be in a corner and just rot, waste into the nothing that surrounds my waking life...

Oscar pulls me from my grief by placing his hand on my shoulder. I turn and see the same look of sympathy from him as I saw from her on the battle field. It makes me shudder and turn away to the sadness again. Oscar sighs," Come on now, cheer up. What's got you so down about it now? Weren't you just excited by the news that you're not the ONLY infected in love?"  
" I was, ...and I am, but...it would't ever work...or..shouldnt.." I stop, gathering my thoughts from the bleak inside," She is a living human. She has a future. She has goals and other things to look forward to. But me? I might as well just hang myself till I waste into dust. I have nothing left for me. I'm pointless and without life.. Why would she ever be into someone like me?"

Oscar nods and replies," Not to mention that you are a bi-polar psychopath slash College guy zombie. The likes of which she has trained herself to kill on site."  
" That really helps, Oscar, thanks.." I sarcastically mutterfrom beneath my cloud of darkness.  
" What I mean is that both of you would be going against everything that is yourselves and... isn't that the way love has always been?" I shrug, still tethered to my disappointing facts. I don't hear Oscar say anything more, but I do hear him rummaging for something in his pockets. Suddenly, a beautiful silver chain with a tiny, diamond impressed heart at its end drops and dangles in front of my hood. It catches the light enough to twinkle in my eyes, making my heart swell just a little. My hand reaches for it gently as Oscar continues," Now, you have to figure out some way to give this to her that won't freak her out.. and without the others seeing. I'll put my head on the block for you once, but I will not be the laughing stock of the century for carrying jewelry in my pockets," He lets the chain drop into my palm as I study it over," Just don't forget that she will most likely be carrying a huge weapon with her, so if you plan on giving it to her, I would suggest figuring out a way to do it before she kills you?"

" Yeah? How do you suppose I do that?" I snort, edging on sadness.  
" Just go at it like you would if you both were human! You know, spur of the moment kind of thing? Just be smart about it and carry it with you at all times. You never know when the moment will strike.." I actually smile at him and straighten my back a bit. Holding the chain in my hand, I look at the pendent again and sigh happily this time. If what he says is true, we are a bit star-crossed but since when has that stopped anyone? And the other lovers had to start somewhere, so maybe it will work.. Maybe it will.

Finally outta my funk, I turn back to Oscar with a slight grin on my face.

" So...you watch everyone, do you?"  
" Yep, try my best to."

"... know anything interesting?" Oscar grins as well.  
" Well...I know Roger will sometimes, during the day, sneak down the hill to go run down to his mothers old house and cry on her bed."  
" Dude, that's depressing..."  
"True... OH and that spitter chick that was out with you today?  
" Yeah?"

" ...she masturbates behind the dumpster on third."

" DUDE SICK! YOU ASS!" I punch him on the shoulder hard as his entire body ripples with heavy laughter. We both just both sat there, laughing until we couldn't breath anymore.

It's been so long since anyone of us has laughed that hard.

Chapter III

It had been several weeks since the last time I saw Zoey. I had decided to take Oscars advice and just lay low for awhile. Really don't want to start having attention drawn to myself from my community and especially not when I'm sure Zoey had skipped town due to my creepy effect. I still had the necklace though and ever once in a while I'd pull it out and remember who I really am. Nothing sappy, just a quick nudge in the heart to make my steps a little more jolly.  
Speaking of jolly steps, you wouldnt believe how much a simple spliced quad would bring an entire family together so quickly! I'm not talking about how we all jumped in to save Roger, I'm talking about everyone was planning a parade because the little tough shit had finally been bested at his own game! Not too long ago, one of our own hunters decided to actually accept a challenge that was shouted from Roger, who still believed he owned the world. It had been decided by the rest of the hunters that it would take place the next morning and it would be a difficult task so they both were on even starting levels.

Everyone was in a whirlwind of buzzing excitement over the approaching event. It was a simple enough competition, both competitors had to get from the flat ground up to the 5th story of the cell phone building by taking their biggest leap at it and then racing from where they both landed to the top. Honestly, I was surprised that those stitches hadn't already torn a larger hole in his leg, but I wasn't going to ruin this kind of fun with a few safety concerns! Both of them were lined up at the base of the front wall as the crowd of other miscreants gathered around. I was perched on the roof of the building next door, looking down at the two eager hunters. Oscar waved at me from the building across the street who had to make sure that the entire race was without some sort of cheating. I nodded back, my hood down to enjoy the early sun. My once blonde hair had lost its way to a new dark, ragged auburn during the infection and wasn't much to look at so I had no fear of the infected making a scene about my hood being down. Plus, who cares? I was in a phenomenal mood.

John came out from inside the building with a few other generals who made sure the race would be completely fair. See how much effort we put into making sure someone lives up to their egos? As John walked to a lamp post, the other members took their place among the spectators for a good view. John leapt onto the top of the post and went over the rules, which both challengers were too busy getting pumped up to care about. Roger was slightly favoring his bad leg, but from everyone else's view, it probably looked like he was just anxious about the race. John's arm flew straight into the air as the Crowd immediately silenced. The two eager Hunters crouched low, holding to their practiced traditions. John's eyes scanned the street quickly, before he grinned and...

As soon as John's arm dropped, both Hunters leapt swiftly off of the ground with hardly a dust cloud to show. The crowd still hadn't realized that it had begun, but I could clearly see that something was amiss. When Roger had leapt, he had switched his weight to his bad leg in an effort to even the weight like a normal hunter would do. But looking at his face now in slow motion, I could clearly see the pain wretch across his face, confirming that one of his stitches managed to tear itself out of place. Both hunters had landed on the flat brick wall, but with Roger being in so much pain, he didn't quite stick his claws to the brick facing, which caused him to slide at least 6 feet down before stopping. The whole audience gasped and screamed with horror as they knew that he would have to make up some incredible time to have a chance to save such a loss. I turned to Oscar, who was shaking his head, but smiling at me, us both sharing the equal hilarity. Turning back to the competition, I could only cringe as Roger struggled to leap through the window, his pant leg showing signs of fresh blood. The other hunter was two floors above him by now, so I shrugged and leap off the build onto the street, heading back to the pretend hospital room to prepare a fresh needle and thread for our poor, youngest hunter. Too bad we didn't have much for a broken ego.

Later that night, I finished fixing Roger back up and made sure to wrap his stitches tight to ensure that he wouldn't do this again. The special infected were all outside with barrel fires and headlights, celebrating the defeat of our littlest team member. As Oscar watched I finished patching Roger up, he stood up and walked to the window that Oscar viewed the race in before. I could hear him sigh, regretting everything he had ever said. I thought back to what Oscar had mentioned before, and I would bet anything that Roger wanted to be at his mothers old house right now, crying his eyes out. Unfortunately, someone from the crowd below had spotted his movement and began to shout at the window.

" HEY, ROGER! Why don't you come down here and join us? Or do you think we should fix the elevator for ya?" This got the entire celebration to burst into an uproarious laughter, followed by more hoots and hollars to bring the 'fragile boy' down. Roger stepped back from the window in a huff, clearly feeling depressed and hurt. I walk to him and try to console him." Don't worry about those asses, they're just excited to see you on their level for once." I say evenly. He turns quickly with a face full of anger.

" SHUT UP, Its because of YOU that I lost, you fucking Bastard!" He bolts from the room, heading to make it secretly out the back door. I glanced at Oscar who said nothing but had a slight look of sorrow on his face for the boy. I grinned and dashed to the window to shout,  
" HEY, He's heading out the back Door!" This got the crowd all excited as the made a mad dash for the building. My grin grew wide as I looked back at the boomer, but his expression was not equal to mine. He looked a little pissed that I had no sympathy for him, but I rolled my eyes and turned to the window again. Resting my forearms on the concrete seal, I stared up at the crescent moon, rising from behind the cell phone building to greet the sky. With the silence having fallen,I stared at it for a while, remembering how I use to do the very same thing when I was human.

Before the infection, I was in college. A simple college dude who loved learning about natural remedies and practiced medicine like it was a day job. Every night, however, I would use parkour to get to the top of an old class building and just lay there, staring at the moon for hours. I studied its surface like the face of a clock, but I would never get bored. It was always changing, always different and intriguing every night. I tried to mirror my life around the moon, by letting the things around me just flow like the light of the bright planet on the dark sky. Forever changing, i just learned to embrace what was next with open arms. Little did I know that the very next thing I embraced, would be the thing that would erupt and dysfunction my world forever. Yet, even now, I am still able to cope with the drastic change of pace by helping where I can and remaining true to myself. Just as the moon will always be the moon at heart.

Nearly losing myself down memory lane, I almost didn't notice the sliver of pink that was shining from behind a large vent on the roof across the road. I had to blink a few times before realizing that I wasn't just staring at any pink jacket, I was staring at HER pink jacket! My heart did a leap in my chest as the color soaked into my brain, causing all sorts of emotions to whiz through. The only thing I could manage to grab onto was that this is it. This had to be the sign. She didn't leave and is now perched on that building in all of her true glory. I make a small gasping noise before leaping out of the window and dropping to catch the next ledge. I did this as fast as I could and eventually landed safely on the paved ground. I see her stand with a sort of quickness, so I dash across the street to catch her before she leaves...and to provide a harder target to hit if she was carrying a large gun. I take the alley that goes behind the building, knowing that she will want to get on flat ground to help her run. I wait behind a dumpster, watching the back door for movement. The few seconds that passed seemed like hours and I began to doubt myself.' Maybe she went out the front door cause she saw me coming this way?' Running back down the way I came, I almost missed the distinct sound of the back door closing shut.' SHIT' I shout to myself, cursing my feeble mind for not just staying put. I run around the dumpster and down the back alley. I hear footsteps in the spacing next door, so I follow her swiftly into the next alley. As soon as I turn the corner, I see her shadow shrink rapidly into a dead end alley where she may have trapped herself. 'Perfect! Now may be my only chance!'

I follow the direction and turn into the last alley and see...

Nothing. There wasn't a damn thing here.

The moon was now behind two buildings, so seeing in there was impossible without waiting for my eyes to adjust. I walked in slowly as they did, hoping to see another sign of where she had gone. I managed to get several meters down before I hear a slight foot scuff from behind me. In my excitement, I span around an-

CLAAANNNGGGG!

" Gu-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The horrible sound escaped my lips as a large metal bat was suddenly slammed against my ribcage, allowing the air to race from my lungs. The pain, so unfamiliar to me, forced me to drop hard to my knees, my arms hugging my chest, my sight going black and letting tears fall across my face. The bat was dropped beside me and quickly replaced by a terrifying click, followed by a gun nozzle being pressed to the back of my head.

I was paralyzed, unable to breath or open my eyes, the pain subsiding due to the uprising fear that made my whole body tense. I stayed in this type of hiatus for what seemed to be forever. Trapped in a forever limbo, my mind knowing that it was my time to die. My time to get my final rest. To kick the bucket. Put my spoon in a tree. To disappear...

but then I hear a sniff from behind the gun. A little one, the kind that told someone else that this person was...

crying

I opened my eyes slowly and took a small whiff of the air. I could sense...fear? I could hear the shaking of her body. I could smell the tears drying to her cheeks. That's when I stopped being so scared, and began to feel sick. I had just scared the life out of this girl, and all I wanted to do was show her how much I wanted to be with her. And now, I've made her cry.

I am a monster.

She sniffs again, but this time she is beginning to regain her composure. She presses the gun a little harder into my head, confirming to herself that this is all real. I hear her lips part as the words begin to form in her mind.

" W-What are you doing?" She asks with a bit of weakness. She shakes her head and tries again. " I mean, Why are you following me? Who are you?"

I sit there motionless, still not wanting to startle the gun that is the rope that has me hanging near death. She musters enough courage to speak again, but a little more demanding this time.

" I know its you who has been following my for the past month, but I want to know why! All of the other zombies out here want to eat my alive, but you are the only reoccurring face I continue to see." She pauses, hoping I might answer. " And what was going on just a few moments ago, huh? I saw a party, what looked like, and-and I saw a huge number of you specials all shouting and growling at each other. I thought I heard survivors, but I could only see you guys. Was it some kind of party? huh?" She begins to shake again, losing all of the questions that she wanted to ask. She wipes the tears out of her eyes with the other hand, and puts both of them on the handle of the pistol, forcing it harder against my skull. I begin to cry a little, too, wishing that this was happening a different way, that I could be talking to her face to face. I decided to give it a chance and actually start talking to her. I cleared my throat, and just as I open my mouth, Oscar appears on the other end of the alley. Zoey, just seeing him appear, panics and removes the barrel from my head to aim it straight at Oscar. His eyes grow wide as I take my leave and dash for the corner. I barely make it in time to hear another bullet whiz by my head, sinking into the pavement a few feet next to me. I scale the building with quick precision and manage to get to the roof with ease. I see Oscar duck from the opening and make a mad dash into the building, planning on taking the underground escape route to safety.

But when I look down at where I was, I could see that Oscar need not have run. Zoey was still standing there, her hands having dropped to her side, the pistol hanging like a useless leaf from her hands. She was motionless, just staring down the alley where Oscar had escaped from. I could sense that she had started to tear up again, and i wanted to just go down and comfort her. I wanted to let her know that I wasn't a monster all of the time and that I really cared for her. and always will.

As I leaned over the roof a bit, my rib let out a sharp pain that echoed around my chest. When I wrapped my hand around my waist, I saw a slight twinkle that caught my eye. They grew wide as I realized that the diamond heart necklace fell out of my hoodie and was now tumbling towards the ground where I nearly died. Helpless, I could do nothing but watch it fall in a antagonizingly slow fashion. The pendent circled and tumbled over itself, catch and throwing the small light around like a miniature star. I gasped as it hit the ground and bounced back up...

before hitting her shoe. Zoey, slightly startled, looked down and did a surprised twitch. She crouched down slowly, retrieving the tiny heart star. Standing up, she held it out to the light as she studied it over in her hand. Her mind able to connect the dots fairly fast, she tosses her head up suddenly and spots me with the look of surprise on my face. We both, in this moment of connection, manage to make the whole world stop.

This was it.

This was the moment that our hearts began to beat at the same times.

We began to breath in the same rhythm as one another.

Our thoughts were simultaneously linked forever.

I felt her emotions flood with mine as we stayed in this connection.

This was our time.

Our bubble of peace.

Our breaking of rules.

Our changing of stars.

Our beginning to the story...

A flash of lightning from over head broke the link between us, quickly followed by a deep rumble. I felt a drop of wetness smack onto my hood and saw a few drops fall to Zoey below. She turned from me and looked at the darkened sky. I followed her gaze up and watched as the sudden shower began to drench us both. I looked back down into the alley and found Zoey, staring right at me. Our eyes locked for just a moment more, before she wrapped her hand around the necklace and sprinted off to her shelter from the rain.

I turned from the alley in a kind of numbness and found my way home on autopilot. The infected, having all deserted the party, drifted off into the night as I blankly made my way slowly up the stairs to the room I claimed. As I get to the correct landing, I see Oscar sitting in his room across the hall, looking out at the rain. He turns to me, and gives me a silent nod. It was like he knew that I wanted to have sometime to review what had happened. I slipped into my room and locked the door behind me. Without bothering with the light, I fell face first onto my bed, too numb to think or move further. After several minutes, I rolled over properly, lying wet on my simple cot. But as I started to thaw from the numb feeling, I could really only focus on one thing that I could remember readily...

I wasn't the only one who hated the rain.


	2. Rainy Wasteland Nights pt2 (4-6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thought it was over? Nah, we are just getting started here! Now it's time to add a little more flare, a little more comedy, and a LOT more infected! Where ever will this love take Kane?! And what mysterys are lurking in the shadow's shadow?...

Chapter 4

I must admit, it is the damnedest thing to wake up from a night like last night and hear a blue bird chirping at your window. Like it was singing a song in rejoice for me and my accomplishments. Perhaps it was here to send me a message that this life will be perfect from now on and I will never have to fret about a tiny thing anymore...

PFT, yeah right. Seriously, like it would all just end with me finally making ONE connection with the girl of my dreams? Like it was all just going to be shits 'n giggles with fields of flowers to gallivant through? Who the hell came up this perfect ending to a love story anyway?

I blame Disney.

-I could hardly consider myself asleep, but it was the kind of awake that retained just enough energy to let you know that you have just slept. That annoying moment when you can't (won't) function but you can still sense that you are no longer participating in the dream realm. Sniffing from an itch that festered on my nose, I lazily swipe the dark sleeve across my face, feeling relief from the minor nuisance. I drop my arm back over the side of my tiny bed, ready to fall back into the arms of my Mistress of sleep when...

That Itch.  
It returns.

A little confused by its courage, I strike at it again with the same sleeve, using the last bit of will strength that I managed to scrounge up out of this tiresome position. It was only when the itch came back for the third time did I notice the slight giggle that wriggled its way out of Oscars mouth. Immediately, I throw myself into a sitting position, growling menacingly at the obscured blob. Unfortunately, these actions only proved to make him burst into complete hysteria on the far side of the room, his giant self shaking all over from the apparent inside joke. I had to grin slightly as I saw a piece of grass fall from his hands and when he began to sober up, I cleared my throat to speak.  
" What's got you so chipper this morning, asshat?" He looks at me with a goofy grin and replies.

"Sorry, but man, you snore like a sea monster! Plus, I couldn't resist, you seemed so...happy, just lying there on your innocent little blanket." I smile and shift around, shaking myself of the dream tendrils and wiping flakes from my eyes. " Yeah, that's cause I WAS happy, jerk. Odd how us dead folk still enjoy a good nights rest." I sarcastically spat at him. His grin grows wider as his eyebrows raise to my statement.  
"Oh, and I'm sure sleep was the only thing that made you cheerful last night..." His obvious reference to my encounter with Zoey brought back everything that had happened. I could remember feeling the fear encase me as she held my life in the balance with a gun to my head. I vividly saw how the tiny trinket slipped from the rooftop and dropped to her feet, and her finally knowing that I existed in this dismal wasteland...

But it wasn't until I stood up to stretch did I remember the metal bat crushing into my chest. Doubling over quickly with my arms back around my ribs, Oscar gasps and rushes forward to hold me still, the pain nearly engulfing my muscles to steal my strength. He helps me sit back on the bed lightly, a face of concern replacing his earlier mood. I cough, my lungs feeling too weak to resist the pressure from the pain as Oscar panics.  
" Hey, dude are you alright? You don't look so good, did something happen?" - I nod, a slight smile forming on my lips.  
" Yeah, I'm good, just... I think my ribs shifted a bit when-" I stop, recalling that Oscar wasn't there until after I was on the ground at her feet.  
" When what? What's making your chest hurt?"  
" It was Zoey. Well, me mainly, I scared her. But when I took off after her, she ran into this dark alley. I followed her but as soon as I did, she, um...I took a metal bat to the stomach." I see Oscar grimace in sympathy before setting his expression to the situation at hand.  
" Alright, pull your hoodie up, I need to make sure they're not cracked or, worse, broken." I nod and slowly gather the bottom edge of the garment up. When I moved my arms around, I had to close my eyes against the sharp pricks coming from my torso again. I hear the boomer whistle and open my eyes to see him staring right at my sore region.

" What? What is it?" I say with some worry, trying to move and get a good look at it. Oscar puts his hand on my shoulder, stopping me from moving so much.  
" Shh, stop fidgeting, I was just... damn, she's got one hell of a swing! She like pro or something?" We both chuckle, but I shake my head.  
" I think it was luck that she wasn't wielding a major gun or anything." Oscar gingerly lays his fingertips on my bruised muscles. I twitch from the cold that came from them, but remained still as he searched for any signs of internal bleeding or cracked bones. With the silence nearly suffocating me, I decide to continue my recollection of the events from last night.

" So...thanks for stalking me yesterday. You saved my life, ya know." I say out load, looking around the dim room, grinning.

"No problem. It was just luck that I saw you leap from that window. And it was also luck that I knew which way you guys ran. I'm just glad to have you back in one piece, almost everything intact" His hand presses a little too hard on one rib and I tense up quickly before he removes his hand." Sorry..'  
"Its alright...but not everything made it back last night..." Oscar gives me a confused look as he continues on my wound." I'm referring, of course, to the necklace..."

Oscar gasps and stops focusing on my bruise, causing him to push into me again. I let out a quick howl, my face strained against the sudden pain. Oscar stands, realizing his folly, and moves to the chair across the room, bringing it closer to my bed. I breath through my teeth as he pain subsides. Coughing again, I stare at him before commenting." Tell me the verdict before you kill me, Doc." Oscar nods with a shrug.

"No broken bones, however you've actually strained an abdomen muscle. With some ice for now and some heat before you stretch, though, I can get you healed back up to new." I smile at this news but he wasn't finished talking. " Now, tell me. What happened before and after I arrived?" Not surprised by his sudden eagerness to learn the events around the necklace, I stand and drop my shirt back down, trying to get my thoughts in order. I walk to the small window at the foot of my bed and look out onto the cloudy street, the fog still lingering on the wreckage I consider home.

" It wasn't much, really. Just a...moment, I guess. So many emotions happened in that small moment, but it seemed like it had lasted forever. I had seen Zoey's coat as she dashed from the roof across the road. I leapt down in hopes that this would be a start to the new me I've been searching for. I mustered the courage to chase her, but," I pause, my mind skipping into the fear that I had made Zoey feel. I drop my head a little, but continued for Oscars sake. " But, what I hadn't realized was that chasing her would only frighten her more. For a few blissful seconds, I had forgotten who I was. I had pushed the monster inside me to the furthest reach of my soul, and it felt like , she hadn't forgotten, and promptly forced me to the ground in my folly. But it was only when she had clicked the gun at my head did I recall what I was to her. Oh, and she knew that I had been following her, too apparently. She told me, saying that I was the only one who didn't seem to want to kill her. She...even asked why..." Oscar breaths deep, smiling at this.  
" But did you tell her? Does she know that we all have human tendencies and are not all mindless zombies?"

" No. I didn't get to, you sprung up just down the alleyway."

"Oh, sorry man.."  
" DUDE, you saved my life! Don't be sorry! Plus, it worked out for the best, cause after you dashed away, I was able to bolt to the outside wall and made my way up to the roof. It was then that I gave her the necklace." Oscar looks puzzled so I finish me tale. "When I got up there, the necklace slipped out of my pocket as I leaned over to look at her again. It fell into the alley, striking her shoe and before I could realize what had happened, she looked up and saw that it had come from me. And...Oscar, let me never stop thanking you for that trinket, cause that moment you told me about? Yeah...it totally happened." The boomer's eyes lit up and his smile stretched to his ears.  
" I told you, those moments just happen without any help from anyone. I'm happy for you, really, I am. It couldn't have worked better if you planned it."

" Yeah, but now I just have to wait and see what comes next. I think this is the worst part. Not knowing whether or not she accepts my humble token as a gift of honest love...or as a sick joke from a sinister demon." I sigh gently, mulling over both options. Oscar stands from his chair, his smile a kind and reassuring one.  
"Hey, don't worry so much. Atleast the ball is in her court and its up to her to choose. Its time to finally get the answer to your questions." I nod and return his smile, completely content with those words. After all, he was right. I've done what I could until now, so its her turn to start playing. And I am feeling optimistic, despite the creature harbored inside. I took a deep breath, knowing that my mind could finally get some relaxation from all of this insanity.  
We both waited a few more minutes in this content joy before Oscar stood up.  
" Well, that's that. But you still don't know the real reason I woke you up so early..." I shoot him a puzzled look and he grins." I just thought you should know that we've discovered another special."  
"Yeah, so what? We find a few every two weeks, what's new?" I mutter, walking away from the window, straightening the bed covers and preparing to join the clan for some food.  
"Funny you should ask...We've discovered a new TYPE of infected. And shes nothing like we've ever seen before." My ears perk up at the announcement of her gender. A new Female infected? My previous inclinations that the vast majority of women were not actually strong enough to adapt to the disease flew right out the window. The theory wheels in my brain began to turn as all of my field knowledge raced back into my mind. Oscar, sensing my eagerness to learn more about this new Infection, spoke up to ease my mind again.  
" When you've finished soaking in what I said, you can find her downstairs with the other guys, and I believe there will be food too, yes?" I jump into the hall faster than Oscar could see and yell back at him.

" Not if I get there first, Slowpoke!" He laughs quickly before realizing that I wasn't joking.  
" H-hey! You wait just a Fucking minute!"

I darted down the stairs before he could say anything else and made my way to the mess hall, laughing the entire way.

Chapter 5

-Consider me crazy, but I really think everyone should get their hands on a copy of "The Zombie Survival Guide". Seriously, flipping through it, I am very thankful for its usefulness. I'm not just talking about how to fish for the mindless in a lake, I'm talking about how to survive and take charge with a group. You know, keeping the clan healthy, safe, sane. Why not use it to help us, the other victims of this cruel disease? I got mine as a 'gag gift' from a co-worker and to be honest, its got us this far together. All because I made it important to everyone that exercising these activities daily would help them remain normal...

Who's laughing now?

-Its night again, but this night is a special one. Tonight is the night that we all must set aside our petty problems and gather in the common room for a 'meeting'. I like to call it our '.AnyoneAnyone Meeting', as a pun to our former human version of AA Meetings. We usually just talk about our recent experiences, share stories of hilarious things we've seen, sometimes debate or discuss old human issues (we stopped caring about Global warning and we've taken a new stance on Abortion.) All of this is just to make sure we don't fall even more victim to the infection.

However, this night, we get to discuss the 'new girl'. Shes a new branch of our species so I'm eager to get to speak with her, to learn about her past and abilities. I saw her in passing this morning at breakfast, but John had ushered her to his office so as not to make a scene. Yet, you can't stop a bunch of zombie fiends from gossiping. All the hype is that she has strength of 6 men and has claws that are sharp as razors. Someone even told me she becomes immortal when shot at with incinerating bullets, but you can see how I'm having a hard time believing that...

-I clamber down the hall, my fingers following into the grooves made by me and the other hunters from our prior wicked plays down the walls. There are a few other stragglers behind me, each equally as pumped as I to meet the new member of our smallish clan. As soon as my hood bursts through the entrance way, I immediately stop just short of the circle of chairs. I hesitate there, noticing that the lights are dim.. I mean really Dim. I look around, wondering what is the reason for this when I hear John on the far side of the group speak up.

" Its alright, Kane, I will explain it when everyone gets here. For now, there is room over here for ya." Our general motions beside him lazily as I shrug and silently walk to an empty chair a few down from him. Oscar is opposite of me, his hand flailing about like an excited school girl. I nod back, my enthusiasm locked within with perfect practice. Its uncommon to find emotions from hunters, other than the usual fighting retorts and sarcasm. The remaining clan members trickle to a stop with Roger being last to make sure everyone was in attendance. He perches in an empty chair away from everyone else, obviously still sore from his crumbled ego.

John quietly stands and tosses his hood down, symbolizing the start of honesty within the circle. I remove my hood as well, quickly followed by the other hunters and members of the horde who decided to wear hats this time. We all take a synchronized breathe together, everyone knowing the meeting traditions by heart. John smiles a gentle smile, inviting us to listen to his opening words.

"Good Evening, my friends. Thank you for attending our bi-weekly A.A. Meeting." A few laughs arise from the crowd, but we fall silent again to hear more.

" As you all know, this is a moment out of our lives that we can use to share ideas and knowledge around our friends. This is the time when you can let go of your judgments and simply be normal with others who can see you for who you are. We gather to promote the happiness of one another and to become happy with ourselves. However..." He hesitates as the everyone fidgets in their seats, knowing what the pause could only mean.  
" Tonight, we gather to learn more about ourselves and of our ever changing environment. We are here to celebrate the latest discovery in the infected world."

"Bring out the Girl!" A fellow member shouts from across the circle, his friends laughing next to him from the harmless joke. John gives them a stern look before continuing.

" I will let her join the circle once I cover some ground rules which will need to be strictly enforced. Rule one, No quick or sudden movements. Please be considerate, she is very timid and we must respect that. Rule two, No bright lights or loud sounds what so ever. This means no setting off car alarms, no Flashlights. She is sensitive, respect this. Third rule, BE. NICE." John stops to look around the chairs to insure this rule. "She is only here because it took a lot of persuading to get her out of the place she was staying. I do NOT want her to feel unwelcome here, alright?" The infected all nod, eager to meet this fragile girl. I nod right along, a little confused by all the precaution but then again, I don't know much about this type of infection. If she does have the strength of 6 men and razors for claws, a little touchiness isn't bad. John holds his hand up to keep us silent as he slowly walks behind his plastic chair and into the darkest part of the room. Even with my adjusted eyes, I can barely even catch movement as we all hear a quiet exchange of words from that direction, whispered away from our enhanced ears. A few from the far side of the circle move to the edge of their seat in anticipation, some ready to fall in the floor. I glance over and see Oscar, completely entranced by the secrets and the surprise. I turn back as I hear bare feet hit the cold floor, slowly approaching the lighter circle of waited infected eyes. John's dark hair and face emerge from the shadows with ease, his torso following right behind. His right arm lingers in the shadow, as if holding onto the darkness...or it holding on to him. John turns to the shaded figure and smiles his gentle, reassuring smile, before...

A white, clawed hand pierces its way from the black, revealing a porcelain skinned forearm that shone even in the dim light. John gradually assists the fragile arm, letting the owner take her time to adjust. After a few more moments of shutter shock silence, a thin strand of black hair falls from somewhere above the arm, forming a black, long haired head shape with only a bit of neck showing, the face visible only to the ground. John faces the head and backs into the circle, tugging lightly at the arm when suddenly,

Her entirely too thin body steps fully into the edge of the circle with such petite grace, a reflection of the doll-like color that covered her entire self. Our leader's smile widens as the group quietly gasps, their feelings of awe washing over one another as the image of her floods into their memory banks. I found myself frozen to the chair, only a few of them away from this beautiful creature. She steps again with a little more strength, nearly in the center of the gapping crowd. Hesitating slightly, her head moves to the left, obviously observing the people there through her veiled hair. She then moves her head around the circle till she rests her covered eyes...

On Me.

I could feel her eyes penetrating into my soul as I remained frozen, watching the spectacle learn our environment. As if to reinforce my previous thoughts, a thin white nose pokes through the black curtain, smoothly followed by a pearly white chin. My breathe caught in my throat and I could do nothing but stare as her entire face is revealed to me, her eyes indeed looking right into mine. We are locked this way, us both peering into each other's undead, glossed eyes, both studying what we could of the other. John inches toward her slowly and rest his calming hand on her shoulder, breaking her concentration. She turns to him, her face completely visible to the now restless group, each one of them stunned as I was at her thin, glass look. It was hard at first to distinguish from her bleach white skin, but I could see now that she wore next to nothing with barely a cloth to cover the necessities. Our leader turning from her pale face, looks at the majority of the onlookers grinning at our silent reactions.

"This... is Claudia"

A few from the circle let out their long-held lungs, quietly as to not disturb the moment. Claudia turns from John and steps into the center, looking out at the undead as we take her in. Unsure of what to do next, everyone begins to murmur shortly wanting to see what she will do. I hear John cough lightly and, glancing in his direction, I see him raise his eyebrows and point at the frail girl with his head. I pause, unsure what i should say, so I gradually stand with only a little noise, alerting her of my presence. Suddenly, I could feel the eye of my colleagues all swivel to ponder on the new subject. Sensing the aversion, Claudia rotates, ever so gently to face me full front, her supple movements so planned and perfect. We both match eyes again, but this time she is the one looking for answers as I breath deep to still my thoughts.

"Hello. My name is Kane" I pronounce every syllable to ins-

"Hello, Kane. My name is Claudia"

My eyes go wide as she tilts her tiny head and smiles, still penetrating me with her gaze. I feel a cold chill run the length of my back. I couldn't tell you specifically what made me scared, but something about that tiny sentence had me perplexed...and terrified. I try to resist the urge to growl as our faithful leader arrives to intervene.  
"Very nice, Kane, thank you for your hospitality. And thank you, Claud-"

"My name is Roger and imma hunter!" Claudia reacts before anyone else and swivels with lightning speed right in front of the source of the sudden noise. John hisses beside me, ready to scold Roger for break the 2nd rule but a raised white hand stops him short. Roger is visibly shaking, his arms stuck to his sides and his hood still covering his face ( Didn't I tell you he was a sore loser?) Claudia leans in beside the frightened youth and turns her head to speak in his ear.  
" mm...hi..." She spoke alluringly, the group just as shocked as Roger. It seemed like she was...attracted to him. " May I see your face... please?" she spoke again, pulling back to see him clearer. Roger nods, his body suddenly very relaxed. His arms lift slowly and grasp the edge of the navy cowl and lowers it behind him, revealing his black short hair. Claudia lifts a finger and puts it under his chin, raising his head for her to better see. Roger tries to look somewhere other than her eyes, but soon locks on to them, just I had moments before. They stay this way for only a few seconds before the white zombie drops her hand and takes a step back. " Thank you." she says before moving back into the center of the circle when John is still on pause. I try not to stare at her while she looks about the crowd, but I cannot dismiss the scene that just unfolded in front of us all. John coughs loudly to bring the attention back to him, grasping at the loose reigns the meeting turned to.  
" Alright, Now that she is begriming to familiarize herself with all of you, and don't worry she will meet you all in due time, I'm going to need a volunteer to show her the ropes of how we live." John's eyes flash over to see Roger raising his hand like a school kid." Now, Roger, you've only been here for a few months, I'm going to need someone who knows where we want to take this group, ok? Whose someone I can trust to help fit her into our society?" He waits, looking around the chairs. No one had their hand raised and none of them wanted to look at him too long, the word 'volunteer' well known to be code for ' who ever I choose'. Unfortunately, it didn't work in my case, so when I saw his face brighten as he looked to me, I knew this was going to be a long night.  
"Kane, you will be Miss Claudia's Guide and Counselor for her integration into our world. How does that work for you, Claudia?" Oh, yes, lets not ask the one the responsibility falls on, just ask the one responsible.  
" I would like that very much, Thank you." I shrugged, knowing that arguing would only hurt my cause. I put on a smile for Claudia and give John the ' we need to talk' look. John smiles and makes a motion to the group, getting their attention for the last time.

" Well, thank you all for coming and welcoming our latest joy to our collection. You will see more of Claudia in your day to day happenings, just don't forget the rules I mentioned, ok? Please, refrain yourself from too many questions at one time, keep things simple and short, don't overwhelm her. This then concludes the meeting for tonight. Oh, and we will be having meetings every Sunday night for the next month, to help her get to know you all better. Not all of them will be mandatory, but we will still be sharing stories and playing games. Thank you, have a great night!" The horde all stand up and begin to shuffle out of the room, every one taking his or her own way, leading to god-knows where. I walk away from the circle and head towards a wall , followed by John. Claudia stays in the circle, one of the spitter chicks introducing herself gently to the thin girl. I look over my shoulder and watch as John flips his hood back over his eyes and approaches the spot in front of me. I toss my hood up, too, keeping our words between us.  
" So, what's up, Kane? Is there something wrong?"  
" No, nothing really wrong...I just, well...me? Are you sure I'd be the best one to help her?"

" Well, yeah, you are the only one I trust, and my other generals all have their own hands full. Plus, I want her in on the group activities, the ones you proposed at the start. You've been with us the longest, and I'm sure you get tired of playing nurse to Roger, so...this is like getting a promotion with out the title."

"and without the pay" I mention and we both chuckle at the small joke. "I'm only asking because...something happened to me recently and its going to require a lot of my attention." John gives me a confused look as I sigh and lean against the wall. "Its not something I'm going to discuss now, its not fully developed, but trust me when I say its going to need serious looking after. I'm not going to have a lot of time to spend on her." I begin to think about my wonderful Zoey when I hear Claudia speak up from the chairs.

"John?"

"Yes, dear?" He responds from his darkened face. Claudia looks at the Spitter who speaks.  
" John, I have a spare room in my safe house not too far from here...I was wondering, if she doesn't have a place to stay for the night...?" John turns and looks at me.

" Its up to Kane, she's his responsibility..." Both girls look at me, hoping for an answer. I muse it over in my head before speaking

" Yeah,that's fine, just make sure she makes it there and back safely. And she has to be in the lunch hall by noon, no loitering around."

The spitter tosses me a smile and nods, looking at Claudia to follow her. Claudia gives me an honest smile as she wishes John and I a good night. We remain silent until we here the front door shut, leaving us both completely alone. I shoot a glance at John who has removed his hood again and tousles with his chestnut brown hair. Its a little longer than mine, yet he still manages to keep it clean cut all the time.

" I know that you have a new life, Kane, and I want you to be completely happy like before, but I don't know who else to assign this matter to. You honestly are the only one I trust and the only one I could feel comfortable with doing an important job like this. She's looking for a place to make friends and be herself. A place where she can feel normal and safe. She needs a Home, Kane, a home. You of all people should know what that is like. To need a place to establish yourself and to have a chance at normal again. Hell, you even have a roof here to lay on as you watch the precious moon. She has nothing." I sigh and lower my head, understanding what he meant. I am all too familiar with the feeling of loneliness.

"What do you say, hmm? Will you help her learn our rules? It won't be forever and she'll most likely start making friends by tomorrow night, so you'll have your alone time when she's with them." He encourages, referencing to the spitter girl. I look up and into his eyes, and he gives me a slight pleading look,both of us just staring down memory lane. I smile suddenly, knowing that what he said was right.

"Yeah, ok, I'll do it." He smiles and pats me on the shoulder with a gleam in his eye.

" That a boy, thanks it'll really put my mind at ease!" he releases my shoulder and slowly walks in the direction of the hall.

"I mean, it can't be that hard, we don't do much around here anyway." I cast his way.

" Oh, yeah, about that... did I mention shes only been infected for a few weeks?" He begins to whistle on his way out of the building.

what?...

WHAT? A level ONE zombie? I kick the wall and growl loudly. FUCK! That means I'm going to have to teach her EVERYTHING! I'm going to have to train her on how to hunt tomorrow...Damn it! I hope shes a prissy person who hates the cold and wet... thinking sorely that maybe she'll want to just stay inside...

I prayed for rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear not! More updates to come! I am currently working on the next 3 chapters and hope to have them out by early April 2016! So stay tuned <3

**Author's Note:**

> Kane is an original character of my design. I in no way own any rights to the Left 4 Dead franchise, these characters and themes belong to their creators.  
> Originally written in 2011, new chapters to begin in early April 2016!!


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